Up in smoke

The smoky eye is like the LBD of makeup – always in style.

A softer smoky eye teamed with a neutral lip  works for day, build up the colour, add extra shimmer and choose a bolder lip colour for a stronger evening look. The trick is having the right brushes and a quattro palette to create the look. You will need a highlighter, mid tone shade,  darkest  hue/black and accent colour.

Get the look

Primer time: To get the most out of your makeup always prep skin first with a primer after you have applied an SPF moisturizer to your skin.  It helps smooth skin, balance uneven skin tone by reducing redness and your base will wear longer.

Lay the correct foundation:  Apply a foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. It should disappear into your skin and look healthy looking with a dewy, never shiny, finish.

Look for light diffusing products to minimize flaws and even out your complexion.

Keep the t-zone matte by lightly dusting some powder down the nose, across the chin and forhead.

Illuminate: Highlight sparingly, a touch of highlighter along the cheek and brow bones and along the bridge of the nose. To slim a wide nose, blend bronzer subtly either side of the bridge.

How to work a smouldering, smoky eye.

Eyes: Prep the eye area with an eye shadow base to even out skin tone, intensify the colour and stop creasing.  Apply the lightest colour in your palette like a vanilla or champagne hue over the whole lid with a large eye shadow brush. Avoid stark white shimmer as it can make the area look puffy and the eyes appear heavy.

Use a  soft black kajal pencil to anchor the darkest shade of eye shadow and trace the upper and lower lash lines, it doesn’t have to be too precise as you will smudge up towards the natural crease.

Use your second mid toned colour like a  soft dove grey/taupe/mocha or silvery tone to blend across the socket line with a small/medium sized eye shadow brush.

Sweep a wash of charcoal/black over lids and blend across the socket line with a small eye shadow brush for a seamless graduation of colour.

Applying eye shadow base ,  neutral wash of colour and a mid tone across the socket line

Applying  loose translucent powder under the eye and applying the charcoal/black shadow to lid and blending

                                                       

For a tiny accent use a silvery liner on the inner rim of eyes. Silver is great for blue and brown eyes.  Line the inner rim with kajal pencil for a stronger smoky eye look. Line the top lash line with liquid liner or smudge a kohl pencil close at the lash line for extra definition. Continue to line under the lash line with a kohl pencil and smudge it into the lashes with a small angled brush. 

To make the eyes pop add an accent of a silver or gold shimmer to the inner corner of the eye.

The Lash Effect: Curl lashes to give them a curve and complete with lashings of mascara to add intensity and sultriness. Load it deep into the base for a liner look.  Apply a few short, individual lashes to give the eye a feathery yet natural look.

A full flush: Smile, then apply blush to the apples of the cheek and blend up towards the hairline to give cheekbones a lift. Fair to medium skin tones should stay in the pink family and if you have a darker skin tone, choose a rich apricot shade.

Fuller lips: Choose a natural lip colour just slightly darker than your skin tone. Give shape by highlighting the top of the cupids bow with a shimmery nude eye shade. Feeling bolder then opt for a stronger red lipstick.

Beautiful brows: Brushed and gelled brows are fresh. They help make the eyes look wide awake.

Expert tips: The big, smoky secret is to blend the eye shadow through the bottom lashes with a small brush to create a sultry effect.

If you have trouble blending the smoky hue use some powder and blending brush to sweep across the edge to soften and gradually blend the colour. Moving in a windscreen wiper motion back and forth or small circular movements is the best way to blend the colour.

Work with less product and gradually build up your colour, rather than using too much all at once and ending up looking like panda eyes. A slightly moistened brush will allow you to deposit colour to the eyelid  and reduce fallout and intensify the pigment. If you have done your base first use loose powder under the eye to catch fallout that can easily be swept away.